PINACEAE 



The Cypresses and White-cedars 



Characteristics of the Genera Cupressus L. and 



Chamaecyparis Spach 



HABIT. Evergreen, resinous, pyramidal trees (sometimes 

 shrubs); clear tapering trunks; and dense crowns of stout, erect, 

 or horizontal branches. 



LEAVES. Small, scalelike, (often awl-shaped on leading 

 shoots); ovate; with slender, spreading, or appressed tip; thick- 

 ened, rounded, and often glandular on the back; persistent 

 3-6 years ; decussate (in pairs alternately crossing at right angles) ; 

 becoming brown and woody before falling; margins smooth to 

 finely serrate. 



FLOWERS. Monoecious, minute, terminal; male oblong of 

 numerous decussate stamens each bearing 2-6 subglobose an- 

 thers; female of 4-14 peltate decussate scales, each with 2-20 

 erect, basal ovules; bract and o villiferous scale wholly fused. 



FRUIT. Subglobose, leathery to woody, erect cone; maturing 

 in 1-2 seaons; cone scales peltate, thick, often with a central 

 boss or mucro which is a remnant of flower scales. Seed: 1-20 

 in several rows on each scale, erect, with lateral wings. 



TWIGS. Slender, quadrangular or flattened, leaf-covered. 

 Winter buds: minute, naked, inconspicuous. 



WOOD. Strongly aromatic; light brown to yellow heart- 

 wood; pale yellow sapwood; very durable. 



SILVICAL CHARACTERS. Tolerant; usually slow-grow- 

 ing. 



GENERAL. The genus Chamaecyparis is considered by many 

 authors to be but a section of the genus Cupressus and because 

 of their similarity they are described together here. The chief 

 diff"erences between them are described in the key on the next 

 page. Six species of Cupressus and three species of Chamaecyparis 

 are native to the United States. 



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